


siren call

by Shamelessly_Radiant



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:02:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24377692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shamelessly_Radiant/pseuds/Shamelessly_Radiant
Summary: Arthur has never seen a human before. Merlin, however, doesn't find the facts that (A) Arthur had no idea what legs were, (B) he is the only son of the Sea King and (C) he has a pretty sharp looking sword good enough excuses and  is not too pleased to be dragged down from his peaceful perch on the shore, flailing and sputtering as he goes.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 123





	siren call

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gedref](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=gedref).
  * Inspired by [Mermay Merthurmay](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/624961) by Gedref. 



> Inspired by this lovely art by the amazingly talented gedref @ https://gedref.tumblr.com/  
> (link to the art: https://gedref.tumblr.com/post/618521243715616768/happy-mermay-merthurmay-arthur-has-never-seen-a )

* * *

Merlin barely has time to gasp out “the _hell_?” before he’s pulled, flailing and spluttering, into the water and dragged away at high speed, to come face to face with the loveliest man he has seen, a very well muscled bare chest, and curious blue eyes looking back at him.

He just wishes he could _not be drowning_ to properly appreciate the pectorals and blue eyes.

The man who pulled him under and swam away with him has a tail, so Merlin’s pretty sure this is all a halucination conjured by his oxygen deprived brain anyways. He starts gesticulating furiously just in case, glaring at his captor, mimicking choking. Finally, the other man’’s eyes widen in something like comprehension, losing the amusement and curiousity, and he lets Merlin go hastily.

Merlin dives for the surface, breaking out of the water to _breathe_ , to let that sweet air back into his lungs. He doesn’t see the shore anywhere, though, and that is enough to almost send him into a panick again, until the– the _merman_? Breaks the surface next to him.

Now that Merlin is not drowning, he can focus enough to notice the other man is holding a sword. However, seeing as he still has a _tail_ , Merlin’s pretty sure he is hallucinating still, and thus, not terribly phased.

“Are you out of your mind?” He demands. “I could’ve died, you prat! And I lost my fishing rod! And I’m all _wet_! And where is the shore?” Somewhere in between, Merlin processes he has progressed from dignified anger to desperate wailing, but he supposed it could be excused, seeing as he almost drowned, or maybe is still drowning, or is in danger of drowning soon anyways.

The man, looking torn between anger and amusement, opens his mouth– and let’s out a long series of guttural sounds.

Merlin, bemused, stares at him, almost forgetting to keep treading water in the meanwhile. He clues in pretty quickly when he starts to sink again, though.

“ _What?”_ He manages eventually. The other man, now looking between amused and severly impatient, opens his mouth again, but Merlin holds up a hand.

“Look.” He says, “I’m not sure if you can understand me-” A quirk of a brow. “Okay, sure, so I guess you _can_ understand me.” An _are-you-serious-face_. “Okay, look,” Merlin says, annoyed, “if you’re going to eat me, will you just get on with it please?“ An eye-roll. Merlin gapes, outraged. “Oh, _nice_ ,” he starts ranting, “first you try to drown me, then you–”

He splutters as he’s dragged underwater again, the man fisting his hair to drag him close and stick his tongue down Merlin’s throat.

Merlin doesn’t go easily, no matter what Arthur will claim later. He struggles heavily at first, but it turns out, the man’s mouth is kind of soft and very lovely, and his muscled arm feels very nice wrapped snugly around Merlin’s back, and his eyes are so very, very blue.

Still. He’s pretty sure he’s going to drown any minute, feeling lightheaded already, so he starts to try breaking free to head to the surface, when the man mutters, annoyed, “oh my god, just breathe, you idiot.”

“I’d _love_ to,” Merlin snaps back, “but I’m _under_ water.” Promptly followed by, “wait, what?” He watches the words bubble up to the surface, bemused, because he’s pretty sure it shouldn’t be possible for him to breathe and talk under water.

The man just rolls his eyes and kisses him again. “You’re not the brightest one, are you?” He asks some time later.

“Excuse me,” says Merlin, feeling very lightheaded now, “but as you are my drowning hallucination, I think you should be nicer to me.”

“Oh,” the merman says, grinning filthily, wrapping his tail around Merlin’s legs and fondling his arse very extensively with the hand that is not in Merlin’s hair, “I can be _very_ nice. And you’re not drowning, idiot. I’m a merman. I kissed you. Ergo, you can now breathe under water. I thought humans were such fans of fairytales?”

“Would you stop calling me an idiot, you prat?”

The man just rolls his eyes and says, “hold on, I’m bringing you back to the shore. You’ll never get there on your own with those ridiculous legs.”

“Hey!” Merlin exclaims, still half-sure this is a hallucination and annoyed that it is so mean to him, but the man just wraps his arms strongly around Merlin and starts swimming, and Merlin’s got to admit he might have a point.

Some time later, he’s released. They’re a little way from the shore, still, but Merlin has never been so happy to feel sand beneath his feet.

“Feel free to come back anytime, human.” The merman murmurs with another filty grin, blue eyes bright on his.

“It’s Merlin,” Merlin mutters distractedly, already swimming back to the shore.

The merman laughs, rich and deep, and says, just before Merlin gets out of the water, loud enough to carry through the water, “well, _Mer_ lin. The offer stands. And it’s _Prince_ Arthur, to you.”

Merlin, pathetically getting out of the water, feeling like a half-drowned cat, turns around to stare at the lake, but it looks deceptively calm. As he is still 80% sure he just dreamed the whole thing, he feels fairly ridiculous when he yells out, “Well, _Prince_ Prat, you still owe me a fishing rod!”

In answer, he gets a fish thrown into his face.

Merlin just grins wildly before he starts the treck home. He’s fairly certain he never would have believed he’d be so happy getting a fish thrown into his face.


End file.
